Wichita eagle., 1887-07-22
HIS STATEMENT
JACK True's Story of the Murder OF Willis m
Price Last Saturday


Jack True's Story of the Murder OF william
Price Last Saturday.
Sheriff Hays returned last evening from
Kansas City having in custody Jack True,
the alleged murderer of William Parrish or
| Price, the man found dead in the Chisholm
creek last Saturday evening. Shortly after
| his arrival at and incarceration in the jail he
was seen by an EAGLE representative. When
| called by the jailor to the bars he was smok-
ing corn-cob pipe and appeared very I'M
concerned. Hello there, are you
paper man: Well look here
want you to put me in the paper just
as l am going to tell you. If you don't you
! will be sorry for it when get out of here.
| While he was speaking an opportunity was
given to view the man. He wss about six
feet tall, black, with a rather disagreeable
face, heavy black mustache, short beard,
small eyes and very prominent cheek bones.
He wore straw hat, blue calico shirt and
| light trousers. Gave as his age 30
years; said that he lad lived for
nineteen years in Kansas City and was
in Wichita for three weeks prior to last Sat
| urday. His occupation was that of butch'
er; had wife but no children
Last Saturday" he says, II went out to
Chisholm CT eek fishing; there was no one
| with me. Some time after had sat down
upon the bank along came a white man and
a colored man. When they were up with
me one of them said: DO you know it is
against the law to fish heres' l said No
don't know anything of the kind.
They then told me to
take up my lines and get away. l took
them out. | had two broke off the end OF
the poles, wrapped the lines around them and
stuck them into my pocpets. had string
Of fish, and as | stepped down to take them
from the water they tried to make me put
them back. l said, These belong to
me as much as to you Then the
colored man struck at me with a
stick and | knocked off his blow and
grabbed the stick. We struggled, l knocked
him down; the white man made at me with
knife and knocked him, TOO, with club.
Then we fought. | knocked both OF them
down several times-don't know how often.
struck the colored man three or four times,
left my fish and came down to town"
"Do yoHknow either of the menu
No, l don't; would perhaps know the
white man If l saw him.
why did you leave as you did,"
II left here because knew no one; feared
arrest and thought would rather be arrest
ed in Kansas City where l was known and
had friends, than Eere where was unknown.
If | had been arrested here everybody would
have said he is only one of them Kansas City
toughs; Kansas City has a bad rep that way
you know. After leaving Wichita | walked
to Valley Center and then took the
cars for home. When there l made no effort
to conceal myself; this Mr.. Sheriff can tell
you; for | was out ON the street every day"
''Were you aware of how badly you had III
jured the meu.'
NO: had no idea at all; did not think l
had killed either"
"Were you acquainted with the murdered
man."
'No l was not; never saw him in all my
life"
|. Sheriff Hays said that the man apparently
bore good name in Kansas City for Marshal
Leggitt spoke highly of him and said he
never knew him to tell a lie. He acted as
TAILOR for some time and was also employed
in tracking colored criminals Deputy Nc
Mahon remembers him as being employed
around the market house. When Sheriff Hays
found him he told him that he had neither
warrant nor requisition papers and asked if
he would come without them He said he
would and was landed in the city without
any trouble.